Literary Agency

Sonia Purnell

Sonia Purnell is a journalist known for her investigative skills and lively writing style. She began her career at The Economist Intelligence Unit before going on to edit a weekly financial magazine at only 25 years old. She has since worked for a number of high-profile newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent on Sunday and the London Evening Standard.

It was during her time working for the Telegraph in Brussels in the early 1990s that Sonia met and worked closely with Boris Johnson, who would later become the Mayor of London and, more recently, the subject of Sonia’s first book, JUST BORIS. Published in October 2011 by Aurum Press, Sonia Purnell’s JUST BORIS offers a thoughtful, highly researched, political, personal and psychological rethink of Boris Johnson. Jerry Hayes, writing for the Spectator, summarises well: ‘whether you like Boris or loathe him, he is a class act and Sonia Purnell’s excellent book is a must-read for those who want to understand this mystery wrapped in an enigma’.

Sonia’s latest book, FIRST LADY, explores the peculiar dynamics of the fascinating union between Clementine and Winston Churchill. From the personal and political upheavals of the Great War, through the Churchills’ ‘wilderness years’ in the 1930s, to Clementine’s desperate efforts to preserve her husband’s health during the struggle against Hitler, Sonia presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history. FIRST LADY was published by Aurum Press in May 2015, to superb reviews.

Sonia Purnell lives in west London with her husband, the journalist Jonathan Prynn, and two sons.